UPS has added 1,235 more drivers into its elite “Circle of Honor,” raising to 5,842 the number ofdrivers who have steered clear of accidents for 25 years or more.
The number of new inductees is the largest for any single year in the company’s history andincludes 31 new members from Canada and Germany. Collectively, the 5,842 drivers have logged morethan 5.3 billion miles and more than 161,746 years of safe driving through theircareers. That’s enough miles to circle the earth 212,000 times.
“UPS and these remarkable drivers are setting a great example for everyone on our roadways bymaking public safety and safe driving a priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary RayLaHood. “I commend these drivers for achieving the milestone of 25 or more crash-free years ofdriving – and for helping create safer roads for all of us.”
Of the Circle of Honor members, 322 have been accident-free for 35 or more years, with 33 ofthose having driven more than 40 years without an accident. UPS’s top safe driver in 2011 isOhio Valley District tractor-trailer driver Ron “Big Dog” Sowder, who has achieved 50 years andover 4 million miles of driving without an accident.
“It’s an honor to lead this remarkable group of seasoned safe drivers,” saidSowder. “I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished but I’m also proud of all UPS drivers for whatthey do every day. If I could give only one tip to motorists, it would be to leave a spacecushion between you and the car ahead. Tailgating is a major cause of crashes and I see itmore every day.”
This year, 36 new inductees are females and 16 women have joined the ranks of those with morethan 30 years of safe driving. This latter group is led by Orlando tractor-trailer driver GinnyOdom, who is credited with 37 years and more than 3 million miles without an accident. There are atotal of 115 women in the Circle of Honor.
UPS’s 102,000 drivers worldwide are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3billion miles per year with less than one accident per million miles driven.
All UPS drivers are taught safe driving methods beginning on the first day of classroomtraining through the company’s defensive driving platform. The training continues throughouttheir careers. In 2010, UPS implemented a ban within its organization on text and e-mailmessaging while behind the wheel, distractions that are a proven cause of traffic crashes.
“Our training and our drivers’ attention to details such as avoiding distractions whiledriving all play a part in their remarkable record,” noted John McDevitt, UPS senior vice presidentof human resources and labor relations. “The annual expansion of the Circle of Honor is proofthat our training works.”
UPS extends its safe driving expertise to the communities it serves through Road Code, a teensafe driving program available in the United States and now expanding globally. Taught by UPSvolunteers, the program is available to teens between the ages of 13 and 18 and more than 5,200teenagers have participated to date. The program is being extended to the UK, Canada andGermany and further international expansion is planned. The four-session training effort isbased on UPS’s safe driving methods. Road Code is offered in the U.S. in conjunction with Boys& Girls Clubs of America thanks to $6.1 million in contributions by The UPS Foundation.
